Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark database, and this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti produces a clear pattern of results. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU becoming a more significant factor as resolution drops. This combination occupies the 895th spot out of 3714 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the top quarter of all configurations tested for this game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet steep curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 164 FPS, which is an excellent headroom for any display. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 132 FPS, a 19.5% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 97 FPS, which is another 26.5% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings represents a total reduction of 40.8%, indicating that while the RTX 3080 Ti is powerful, the 4K resolution still demands a significant toll.

The Medium settings preset shows a similar pattern with slightly lower absolute numbers. At 1080p Medium, the average is 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 and maximum of 146. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 103 FPS (minimum 87, maximum 118). At 4K Medium, the average falls to 76 FPS with a minimum of 64 and maximum of 87. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings is a 40.2% reduction, nearly identical to the Low preset scaling. This similarity suggests that the limiting factor at these settings is primarily the resolution and the GPU's fill rate, not the CPU or memory subsystem.

The High settings preset shows a more pronounced scaling penalty. From 1080p High at 96 FPS to 1440p High at 77 FPS is a 19.8% drop, and then to 4K High at 57 FPS is another 26.0% drop. The total scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 40.6%. The Ultra settings preset is the most demanding, with 1080p Ultra at 91 FPS, 1440p Ultra at 74 FPS, and 4K Ultra at 54 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 40.7%. The consistency of these percentage drops across all four presets strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions, and the CPU is not limiting the frame rate even at 1080p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It features 16 MB of L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 10551 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1409 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 8428 and single-core of 1801. The processor holds the 74th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 21088. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i3-1220P (0.1% faster), Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (0.1% slower), AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (0.2% slower), and Intel Core Ultra 7 155U (0.4% slower).

Given these specifications, the 5600G is a mid-range desktop part that should not bottleneck a flagship GPU in most scenarios. However, the data from Microsoft Flight Simulator suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any tested resolution. The nearly identical percentage scaling from 1080p to 4K across all settings presets is the key evidence. If the CPU were limiting performance at 1080p, we would expect to see a smaller percentage drop when moving to 1440p and 4K, because the GPU would become the bottleneck at higher resolutions. Instead, the consistent 40% drop from 1080p to 4K indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is the sole constraint.

This is likely due to the nature of the game itself. Microsoft Flight Simulator is known for its heavy reliance on GPU resources for rendering the vast terrain and atmospheric effects. The 12 threads of the 5600G are sufficient to feed the RTX 3080 Ti, which has 10240 shading units, 320 tensor cores, and 80 RT cores. The CPU's single-thread performance, as measured by 1409 in Cinebench R23, is also adequate for the game's main simulation thread. The data shows that the 5600G is not holding back the RTX 3080 Ti, even at 1080p where CPU overhead is typically most visible.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average of 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p Medium, the average of 103 FPS with a minimum of 87 is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Even at 4K Medium, the average of 76 FPS with a minimum of 64 remains playable, though it does dip close to the 60 FPS line.

The High preset is a viable alternative for those prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate. At 1080p High, the average of 96 FPS is still smooth, and at 1440p High, the 77 FPS average is acceptable. However, at 4K High, the 57 FPS average falls just short of the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p or 1440p displays where the 91 FPS and 74 FPS averages respectively are usable, but the 54 FPS average at 4K Ultra is below the preferred threshold for a flight simulator where smooth panning is critical.

For the best experience, the Medium preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot. The 103 FPS average with an 87 FPS minimum provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, and the visual quality improvement over Low is substantial. At 4K, the Medium preset is the only one that consistently stays above 60 FPS on average, making it the recommended choice for 4K displays. The Low preset at 4K (97 FPS) offers higher frame rates but sacrifices too much visual detail for a game that relies heavily on scenery rendering.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieves a rank of 895 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 75.9th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the systems in the database. The ranking is impressive given the CPU's mid-range positioning, which suggests that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting in this game.

The RTX 3080 Ti itself holds the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41187. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.8% faster), NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (1.2% slower), NVIDIA Tesla M40 (1.7% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (2.0% faster). The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 384-bit bus and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth is well-suited to the high-resolution textures used in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The 5600G's 74th percentile ranking among CPUs is lower than the GPU's ranking, but the game's performance does not appear to be penalized by this mismatch. The combo rank of 895 suggests that the system is performing close to what the GPU alone would predict, indicating that the CPU is not a significant drag on performance. This is a positive sign for builders who may have this CPU on hand and are considering a high-end GPU upgrade for this specific title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, at Medium settings the average FPS at 4K is 76 with a minimum of 64, which is playable. At High settings, the average drops to 57 FPS, which is borderline. At Ultra settings, the average is 54 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600G bottlenecking the RTX 3080 Ti in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly identical across all settings presets (approximately 40% reduction), which suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p provides an average of 103 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS, offering the best balance of visual quality and smoothness. The High preset at 1440p delivers 77 FPS average, which is also acceptable.

Q: How does this combo compare to other systems in the database?

A: This combination ranks 895th out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top quarter of all configurations. The GPU ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 74th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Is the Low settings preset worth using for competitive advantage?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 164, which is significantly higher than other presets. However, for a flight simulator, the visual detail loss is substantial, and the Medium preset at 127 FPS still offers excellent smoothness with better visuals.

Q: What frame rates can be expected with the Ultra preset?

A: The Ultra preset delivers an average of 91 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. This preset is best suited for 1080p or 1440p displays where the frame rates remain above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 164 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 and maximum of 146. The High preset at 1080p averages 96 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 91 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 44.5% reduction in frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 132 FPS. The Medium preset averages 103 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 118. The High preset averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 43.9% reduction, very similar to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 97 FPS. The Medium preset averages 76 FPS with a minimum of 64 and maximum of 87. The High preset averages 57 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 54 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 44.3% reduction, again consistent with the other resolutions.

The Medium preset is the only one that provides minimum FPS data for all three resolutions, with 108 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K. These minimums are all above the 60 FPS threshold, which is critical for maintaining smooth gameplay in a simulation title where stutters can be disorienting. The other presets lack minimum FPS data, but the averages suggest that High and Ultra at 4K are likely to experience dips below 60 FPS based on the average being 57 and 54 respectively. The data overall shows a well-balanced system that is capable of handling this demanding title at high frame rates, provided the settings are adjusted appropriately for the chosen resolution.